[Anthropgrad] Friday Seminar (25 July 08)

[Sin Wen Lau]

Anthropology Student Seminar Series, Semester 2, 2008
Milgate Room, AD Hope
25 July 2008, 3 pm

'Rice Farming in Mindanao: More than Rice Grain, More than Farmers'
Pre-Field Seminar by Diadem Gonzales

Increasing rice yield in three major rice ecosystems (irrigated, rainfed 
lowland, and upland) in the Philippines is of great government concern 
to cope with the demand of the soaring Filipino population. However, it 
faces pressure from dwindling natural resource bases such as land and 
water.

The government is undertaking aggressive promotion of modern rice 
varieties and technologies in major rice producing areas. In Margues, 
Datu Odin Sinsuat, Shariff Kabunsuan Province in Mindanao, however, the 
adoption of new rice technologies is moving slowly and rice productivity 
remains very low despite government support.

This research will explore the reasons behind the low yields and 
non-adoption of new rice technologies, and seek to understand farmers' 
indigenous rice production practices and their behaviour towards the 
adoption of new rice technologies.

The concept of sustainable livelihood framework and community economy 
will be employed in understanding the multiple sectors that contribute 
to continuing low yields.

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Lau Sin Wen
Department of Anthropology
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT0200
Australia

Telephone : +61-2-6125-3271
Fax	 : +61-2-6125-4896
Email	 : sinwen.lau at anu.edu.au
Website	 : http://rspas.anu.edu.au/anthropology
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